US man stung by scorpion on commercial flight

[Blue_Tires]

Source: AP

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — A man got a big surprise on a commercial flight from Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska, when he was stung by a scorpion while sitting in his plane seat.

Jeff Ellis, of Oregon, said he was trying to sleep on an overnight Alaska Airlines flight June 17 when he felt something in his sleeve and tried to brush it away. He said he felt the crawling again, looked down and saw the culprit.

"I picked my hand up and said, 'Oh, my God. That's a scorpion,'" Ellis told KPTV.

He said he grabbed the scorpion with a napkin and showed it to his girlfriend, but not before it stung him on the elbow.

"At first I didn't believe him," said Suzanne Foster, Ellis' girlfriend. "But then I saw it. He held the napkin up for me to see, and I saw the tail wiggling. I pretty much jumped out of my seat."

Foster called for the flight attendant as Ellis noticed his elbow burning. He said it felt like a bee sting.

Two doctors on board checked out Ellis, while the flight crew called for medics to meet the plane at the Anchorage airport.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/us-man-stung-scorpion-commercial-flight-180744819.html

[sudopod]

1. Well, there's your problem right there.

"He said he grabbed the scorpion with a napkin and showed it to his girlfriend..."

[MineralMan]

3. She slapped him and said, "I don't want to see that thing!"

Or so I understand.

[d_b]

4. sounds like a far side comic

[damntexdem]

18. It stung him first.

The article doesn't say what she did. ;-)

[sudopod]

20. lol nt

[Rosa Menti]

27. Actually, it does...

"At first I didn't believe him," said Suzanne Foster, Ellis' girlfriend. "But then I saw it. He held the napkin up for me to see, and I saw the tail wiggling. I pretty much jumped out of my seat."

[Kennah]

32. Some news stories indicate he was overheard to say:

Excuse me while I whip this out.

[MineralMan]

2. I sat on a scorpion at my house in California several years ago.

Felt like a bee sting. I did not seek medical attention. No medics were called. I stepped on the little culprit and said a bad word. It stopped hurting in about five minutes. I continued on with my day's activities. No story appeared in my local newspaper. The scorpion perished, I'm afraid. Please, no sympathy is required.

[Blue_Tires]

5. I'm not lying...If I was on the flight and saw that

I'd freak out like John Lithgow in the Twilight Zone movie, and the airline WOULD need the white jacket...

[MineralMan]

12. It's just a little arthropod.

Take a plastic glass and put it over the little critter, slide a blow-in card from the airline magazine under the glass and take it to the place the flight attendants deal with drinks and stuff. Into the trash bin it goes, never to be seen again. It doesn't want to sting you. It just wants to be left alone to hunt for bugs and stuff to eat. Seriously. The plane's not its favorite place, I'm sure.

We're awfully fearful of nature, I guess. Maybe because we never really see any of it.

[Rosa Menti]

28. Isn't it sad

that so may have little use for such a reasonable point of view. Where I live, we just ignore the scorpions and they run off.
"It doesn't want to sting you. It just wants to be left alone to hunt for bugs and stuff to eat. Seriously." :)

[Scuba]

55. Bingo. thanks for your sane posts

[Blue_Tires]

58. I have a phobia of small biting/stinging things...

[MineralMan]

62. If your phobia interferes with your life,

there are effective treatments for phobias. One thing's certain, small biting/stinging things are not going away.

[BlueJazz]

17. LOL!...I know what you mean. I despise those damn things. They look like something..

...from a horror Movie.

"Aracna, giant monster of the city"

[Poll_Blind]

40. LOL! Same here! "There's.....A SCORPION ON THE WING!"

PB

[csziggy]

11. My sister sat on a scorpion at our house in Florida years ago

But her situation was not as benign as yours. She was allergic - something we had not known before. Mom, as a RN was not initially concerned but within minutes my sister began to have trouble breathing. I remember the panic. The closest hospital was about 20 miles away and was a very small town clinic type hospital. They got her there and treated in time, but from comments Mom and Dad made later, it was a very close thing.

That was long before Epi-pens and other easy ways to keep antihistamines for immediate application were available. My sister just had to be very careful about being around insects that could cause reactions.

[MineralMan]

13. That's a problem, for sure, for people who are allergic.

Everyone should have a bottle of benadryl (diphenhydramine) in their homes for just such an emergency. Chew up a couple of them at the first sign of that kind of reaction and swallow them with a little water. The stuff's bitter, but...

Then seek medical help fast or call 911. The benadryl will help and give you bit more time.

[csziggy]

47. Now she keeps benadryl around, maybe has an Epi-pen

In 1957, neither of those options was readily available.

When I was actively running the farm I had an Epi-pen. Wasp and bee sting swell enough on me that a sting on the elbow caused swelling all the way to the neck. I never had to use the Epi-pen, which I threw away several years ago when I realized its expiration was ten years before. I do keep benadryl here and used it and lots of ice packs after a bee sting on the ankle gave me a bad case of 'elephantitis' looking swelling on that leg. That was just before I got the Epi-pen!

[Kali]

16. we have centruroides around here and they are a bit more than a bee sting

but they are the strangest sensation - more like an electric shock - and if you touch the area it zings rather than stings. And it will last 24 hours or more.

Son got the first one of the year yesterday in bed, on his thumb (it was under his pillow). Man yesterday was really something - I had a young giant centipede cruising the living room, and a coral snake go behind and under a book case. The summer rains have awakened all the critters!

[Tess49]

19. You had a CORAL snake in your house? Jesus. I would have

left the premises instantly. What did you do?

[boppers]

31. Kali's profile says "Baja, Arizona"... Having grown up in Tucson, that's fairly normal.

In the southwest desert areas, lots of lethal things are running around, and even the plants (cacti) are loaded with ways to injure you. Just a part of desert life. Shake your shoes when you wake up, shake out your sheets before getting into bed, and all that.

[Tess49]

37. I am not brave enough to deal with coral snakes wandering around my house.

I don't know how you do it.

[Kali]

38. had a boyfriend from NY once

he said everything out here including the plants had either thorns, teeth, poison, stingers, or some combo.:rofl:

[boppers]

42. My husbandwife is from northern California...

When we went back to my hometown to visit, they had much the same reaction. I believe the quote was along the lines of "EVERYTHING here is trying to KILL YOU!!!".... Seeing the environment also apparently explained some weird and idiosyncratic behavior of mine (weird and idiosyncratic for living in the Pacific northwest, anyways).

[Kali]

50. like not getting bummed out by rain?

I visited a friend in Germany and one evening it started raining, not really rain just this nice mist and I was like AHHH this is really great, they were all getting despondent and depressed:rofl:

[boppers]

60. Time to go out and DANCE!

*WHEE!* Water!

[Kali]

36. nothing

I did NOT feel like moving a bookcase with all the ceramics and crap on top of it. It is near the door where the snake obviously came in, figured it would find its way out eventually. They are small and not that dangerous (can't really get a bite except maybe on a finger if you were handling one)

however last summer, the rattlesnake that was under my desk was dispatched (warning, kind of graphic picture)http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=9428335

[PatrynXX]

22. oh please get those away from me

I'll never forget when I was rather young going for a glass of water and there was one sitting in the glass. Over 2 decades later I still double check to make sure one isn't in there... O_O

Yet earwigs scare people more. why I have no idea.

I take an ant, put my foot down, he walks around the foot. I take an earwig.. smartass. hmmm a hill just came up. oh well keep walking. walked straight over my foot. Really don't have a problem with them. Only bug I can stand. Except when falling out of my hair. It's all Kahn's fault :P I see one , like a spider I usually leave them alone. Spider goes into my network hub, fine. stay there.

Now if he's hanging from the ceiling and I'm lying down with a laptop on the bed. I hope my laptop is alright.

[PatrynXX]

23. FYI

think I'll blame Gil Grissom on the bug thing. albeit maggots... ewe. it's not how they look but the smell.

[liberation]

25. Yeah, because scorpions are such a common occurrence in commercial flights...

[The Backlash Cometh]

43. There are different sizes and kinds of scorpions.

When we first moved in our home in Florida, we saw two, They were only an inch long and almost translucent. For one of them my son was in the bathroom and yelled for me when he saw it on the tile, I walked in and said, "Where? Where?" And he said, you're standing on it.

Poor little thing.

[Warpy]

45. Most of the scorpions around here are no worse than that

If I ever see one in the house, I'll stomp it but so far, that hasn't happened. I think the spiders must get them before they get the spiders.

I think most of the lethal ones are in northern Africa, Australia and the Middle East and even they are survivable by healthy adults. The Arizona black scorpion has been taken off the dangerous list.

It's like most bites and stings: you want to avoid it but they're not worth developing a phobia over.

[JoeyT]

54. Depends on the scorpion.

I've been stung by them while crawling around under houses, the ones we have aren't bad. Of course on a plane you have no idea where the scorpion that stung you originally came from. They may have started on another continent and gotten shifted to your plane through several luggage transfers.

Just as an example, can you tell which of these is dangerous with no knowledge of where they came from?







The first one is the one that stung that guy (Striped bark scorpion) and isn't dangerous at all unless you're seriously allergic. The second is a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstalker">deathstalker: which are considerably more dangerous than a bee sting.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

56. Pic here:

[ashling]

6. I remember a few years ago

when a scorpion was found at SEATAC in the baggage area (as I recall)

[PoliticAverse]

7. I have had it with these #@*$*$%(#$*@# scorpions on this #@*$*$%(#$*@# plane! n/t

[valerief]

15. Bwah!

:rofl:

[Vanje]

8. Thats an odd habitat

I have scorpions in my area.
Most are not dangerous.
Theres one small species (Centeroides), in the SW that may be dangerous.


Oh. Edited to add : MOTHER FUCKING SCORPIONS ON A PLANE!!!!!!!!!

[MineralMan]

9. I was surprised to discover that there were scorpions in

the central coast beach community where I lived for 30 years. The town was built on ancient sand dunes, and the little scorpions were a perfect match for the sand. Their sting was not that big a deal. They used to crawl in under our front door, until I finally put a seal on it. The cats thought they were marvelous playthings, too.

[Uben]

10. This is newsworthy?

MAybe it's because I'm a country-ass boy, but getting stung by a scorpion is hardly anything to write home about. I've been stung by just about everything that has a stinger around here. The most painful I have endured are wood asps, and I have been stung by several of those.....once to the point of being rushed to the hospital. It's a good thing I am not allergic to anything. I have been swarmed by ground hornets and received between 15 and twenty stings. Those are pretty painful as well. I robbed bee trees when I was younger, with nothing but a hood and gloves. I rarely got stung, but I did have a few.
This is the time of year people find scorpions in their houses. They come in in search of water. I kill two or three each year in the house.

[MineralMan]

14. Hey! It's breaking news.

Man stung by bug! Top of the News at 6!

[Uben]

49. Damned conservative media!

I guess distraction stories are getting harder to come by these days. At this rate, tomorrow's headline will be "Man removed from plane for farting"!

[MineralMan]

57. Now that's a good idea. I remember a flight...

Suffice it to say that a gas mask would have been useful.

[Kali]

39. I swear harvester ants are about the worst I have ever been hit by

but I haven't had the "pleasure" of a tarantula hawk (supposed to be pretty painful) or any venomous reptiles (although my youngest son was bit by a rattlesnake at 18 months)

we will have daily scorpion kills (lots in the sinks/tubs) until it cools off in the fall

[Uben]

48. NEver had a harvester ant bite, I don't think.

But, fire ants are a part of life here. I get a lot of stings from them. The bite's not to bad but the pesky pustules (?) are annoying for a couple of days. A damned red wasp stung me on the ear lobe last year while I was mowing and I swear that thing stung for two days!

[PatrynXX]

21. why do I think of Indiana Jones here?

was it a big one. yeah. good. if it was a small one, then you can worry. the males just fine. female oh no.course Indiana talks about fruit bats and calls them vampire bats but nevermind :P

[alp227]

24. anyone wish that the scorpion could've stung a TSA worker? n/t

[Plucketeer]

29. Yeah

where the sun don't shine.

[zen_bohemian]

61. with all the xrays, body searches body xrays wonder why they didn't see this little bugger

n/t

[northoftheborder]

26. Scorpion stings can be very serious.

I have been stung several times; the first time was at night in bed, and the next morning and for several days my mouth and lips were numb, and felt dizzy. Some people have much worse reactions and must have medical attention immediately. It depends upon where you are stung, partly, less if on finger or foot. A good home remedy is to mix meat tenderizer with water into a paste and apply to sting. (works for other insect stings also). They can climb the walls, cling to the ceiling, come in under doors, and loose window frames. They hide under rocks, papers, in linens. Mean little boogers.

[madokie]

30. I was stung by a scorpion once a few years ago

hurt like the dickens too. The thing with a scorpion sting is it doesn't show up as a red spot or anything like that, pretty much have to take someones word for it.
I was awaken at night as I felt it crawling across my neck and in my half sleep I took my hand and brushed it off me but not before it stung me on the ring finger of my left hand. I found it laying in the floor because when I brushed it off me I messed up its legs on one side of its body so it couldn't really get away. needless to say it met fate with my number 10 size shoe. It hurt, stung like hell but I couldn't see where it had stung me at all. I turned the light on got my glasses and even though I could tell where it had stung me I couldn't see the exact spot. With a little research I came to where they said that most times you can't see where they've stung you but you damn sure knew where it was because of the pain.

Speaking of stings the worst one I've had was a catfish sting. it made my whole arm all the way up to my shoulder hurt for hours, seriously painful as all get outs. A little ole catfish about a foot long and for some reason I let my guard down and just reached to grab it so I could get it off my hook and about the time I was getting a hold of it it flipped its tail and one of the fins got me in the palm of my hand and like I said it was the worst sting I've ever had. bigtime painful.

[Kennah]

33. Uh-oh. Now they've done it.

Someone is going to produce the films:

Scorpion on a Plane
Scorpions on a Plane
Snakes versus Scorpions on a Plane

[bvar22]

34. Well,

thats one way to liven up the old Red Eye.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

35. I wish I got 4000 free miles and two free tickets for every scorpion sting I've gotten.

What a joke. Why is this s news story?

[htuttle]

41. "I'm tired of all these motherfucking scorpions on this motherfucking plane!"

[DemoTex]

44. Where is Samuel L. Jackson when you need him?

[Seedersandleechers]

46. Glad I have 4 cats in my house.

They don't miss a thing, and they catch all the flies that come in.

[BrightKnight]

51. Scorpion stings hurt but it's not a big deal.

Flight attendants should have access to an Epipen in case someone has an allergic reaction to anything.

[stevedeshazer]

52. That's what we humans get for invading scorpion habitat.

Alaska Airlines is now well-known as a haven for venomous invertebrates.

[democratinnashville]

53. And yet another reason to hate flying nt

[zen_bohemian]

59. I lived in NM/TX....I HATE those little suckers

fortunately I was never stung by one, yuck yuck YUCK I hate scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes